Daily Gospel Reflection for April 26, 2015

Last year, I had occasion to pay a lot of attention to sheep. I was doing research for a project on the life of St. Patrick, himself a spiritual shepherd. My research even took me to the hills of Ireland, where I closely watched fields full of sheep of various ages and sizes.

This project changed my opinion of both sheep and shepherds. Far from being the cute, cuddly creatures I had pictured in the past, the sheep I got to know were strong, smelly, and had minds of their own.

Sort of like us, right?

In today’s gospel passage from John, Jesus calls himself the “good shepherd.” Trustworthy, knowledgeable about the characteristics of his various followers, and willing to risk himself for each of them, Jesus came to be shepherd to all types of sheep. Some of us are compliant and docile. Others of us are headstrong and would prefer to choose our own path, despite the clear signs of danger.

Still, Jesus is our shepherd, and we are his sheep. He came to give his life for us, to shepherd us into the safety and bliss of an eternity spent in God’s presence. We are each precious enough to him for him to love us and shepherd us uniquely, just exactly as we are.

How blessed I feel to be one of the flock.

Ponder:

How closely do you try to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd? How have you endeavored to bring others into Jesus’ flock?

Pray:

Jesus, my Good Shepherd, you love me so much that you laid down your life for me. Please know my love for you and help me to follow you with trust and certainty.

About Author

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com and the bestselling author of the Chime Travelers children's fiction series, The Grace of Yes, The Handbook for Catholic Moms and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. As a board member and frequent host on KNXT Catholic Television, Lisa has produced and hosted multiple programs and has appeared on EWTN and CatholicTV. Hendey hosted “Catholic Moments” on Radio Maria and is the technology contributor for EWTN’s SonRise Morning Show. Lisa's articles have appeared in Catholic Digest, National Catholic Register, and Our Sunday Visitor. Hendey travels internationally giving workshops on faith, family, and Catholic technology and communications topics. She was selected as an Elizabeth Egan Journalism Fellow, attended the Vatican Bloggers Meeting, the “Bishops and Bloggers” meeting and has written internationally on the work of Catholic Relief Services and Unbound. Hendey lives with her family in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Visit Lisa at www.LisaHendey.com for information on her speaking schedule or to invite her to visit your group, parish or organization.